for the birds

marriage

Last night on RTÉ’s Prime Time, An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, announced that he expected the marriage referendum to take place on 22nd May next. Just pencil it in the diaries for now, though, as this date has yet to be confirmed by the Minister for the Environment.

Olivia O’Leary’s latest excellent column for RTÉ Radio 1’s Drivetime on the marriage referendum has been doing the rounds since it was broadcast three days ago. In it, based on her experiences of Irish politics and voting habits when it comes to civil rights and ‘social issues,’ she sums up her concerns. And she’s afraid. Very afraid.

A new crowdfunding initiative is being launched to raise funds in support of MarriagEquality’s Yes campaign, ahead of the upcoming marriage equality referendum. The fundraising campaign runs until Valentine’s Day.

Thousands of people have been added to the electoral register since the start of the month, as part of the YesEquality campaign. The final push now begins, with just seven days remaining during which people who are eligible to vote can register.

Big news! An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, announced to the Dáil yesterday evening that the referendum on marriage equality will be held in Spring 2015. The announcement has been welcomed by campaign groups GLEN, Marriage Equality and the ICCL.

Kildare-ians! Are you living in Athy? Well if so, you need to get on to your local councillor, STAT! The Leas-Cathaoirleach of Athy Town Council, Cllr Thomas Redmond, will be proposing a motion in favour of marriage equality at the council’s next meeting – Here’s how you can keep up-to-date and take action!

Yesterday, South Dublin County Council voted on two separate motions in support of marriage equality, and both were passed unanimously by councillors. It appears that a motion in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown will now be discussed in October

Following marriage equality motions being successfully passed at Dublin City Council last week, and since similar moves in local authorities across the island, attention today focuses on two more councils in the Dublin area. South Dublin Council and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Council will today vote on separate marriage equality motions during meetings at 3pm and 5pm, respectively

Ahead of Monday’s local council votes in Newry and Fermanagh, the news over the weekend in Northern Ireland was that marriage equality is now formally Alliance Party policy. The party passed a motion which calls for marriage equality, and which addresses religious beliefs by ensuring that faiths are neither compelled by the state to solemnise same-sex marriages nor prevented from doing so. It also supports giving authority to humanists to solemnise marriages.

All the marriage equality news last night was firmly focused on local government, with votes being taken in Dublin, Newry and Fermanagh. It follows similar motions passed in Belfast, Cork, Omagh, Down, and Moyle and Magherafelt local authorities. Further marriage equality motions are expected in South Dublin, Fingal, Dungannon, Dundalk, Fermanagh, Waterford and Derry

Tonight, as reported by TheJournal.ie, Dublin City Council is due to vote on a motion which calls for “the same rights and entitlements to civil marriages for all citizens of Dublin regardless of race, religion or sexuality”. The Council meeting – which begins at 6:45pm – will be available to watch online

Cardinal Seán Brady yesterday aired the Roman Catholic church’s views concerning same-sex marriage and abortion on RTÉ Radio 1’s This Week. For a man who is so concerned with the unborn, he has a curious view of actual living human beings.

Mid-Pride season and hot on the heels of the March for Marriage, this just in from Marriage Equality: Three further district councils in Northern Ireland have passed motions to officially support civil marriage for same sex-couples. Omagh, Down, Moyle and Magherafelt District Councils join Belfast City Council, who passed a motion of support in June.